four out of 9 performers will be chosen to stand in a row on stage. how many ways can the 4 performers stand in a row

The order matters.
[tex]k [/tex] objects can be chosen out of [tex] n [/tex] objects, when the order matters, in [tex] P(n,k)=\dfrac{n!}{(n-k)!} [/tex] ways.
So, the answer is [tex] P(9,4)=\dfrac{9!}{5!}=6\cdot7\cdot8\cdot9=3024 [/tex] ways.